'''Rajasthan''' is a state in the [[West (India)|northwest]] of [[India]]. It is mainly arid and its western border is adjacent to [[Pakistan]]. The main attraction for travellers is the vast Desert of Thar and one of the oldest mountain range in the world - Aravalis - and the Rajput heritage which is apparent in the forts, temples and palaces established by the Rajput Kings like Bappa Rawal, Rana Kumbha, Rana Sanga and Rana Pratap.

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'''Rajasthan''' is a state in the [[West (India)|northwest]] of [[India]]. It is mainly arid and its western border is adjacent to [[Pakistan]]. The main attraction for travellers is the vast Desert of Thar and one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world - Aravalis - and the Rajput heritage which is apparent in the forts, temples and palaces established by the Rajput Kings like Bappa Rawal, Rana Kumbha, Rana Sanga and Rana Pratap.

==Regions==

==Regions==

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* [[Bikaner Division]] &mdash; in the northern part of the state, famous for its sweets

* [[Bikaner Division]] &mdash; in the northern part of the state, famous for its sweets

* [[Jaipur Division]] &mdash; in the eastern part of the state, home to the state capital, [[Jaipur]] (''the Pink City'')

* [[Jaipur Division]] &mdash; in the eastern part of the state, home to the state capital, [[Jaipur]] (''the Pink City'')

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* [[Jodhpur Division]] &mdash; in the western part of the state, home to the dessert near [[Jaisalmer]] (''the Golden City'') as well as [[Jodhpur]] (''The Blue City'')

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* [[Jodhpur Division]] &mdash; in the western part of the state, home to the desert near [[Jaisalmer]] (''the Golden City'') as well as [[Jodhpur]] (''The Blue City'')

* [[Kota Division]] &mdash; in the southeastern part of the state, less arid than the other divisions

* [[Kota Division]] &mdash; in the southeastern part of the state, less arid than the other divisions

* [[Udaipur Division]] &mdash; in the southern part of the state, home to [[Udaipur]] and all its lakes and palaces

* [[Udaipur Division]] &mdash; in the southern part of the state, home to [[Udaipur]] and all its lakes and palaces

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* [[Jaipur]] &mdash; the state capital

* [[Jaipur]] &mdash; the state capital

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* [[Ajmer]]

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* [[Ajmer]]Tomb of sofi saint Khawaja Mohiddin Chasti famous pilgrimage for both Hindus and Muslims.

* [[Ahore]]&mdash; "'''Havelli Heritage-Ahore'''", A heritage hotel by jagirdar family of Ahore

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* [[Jhunjhunu]] &mdash; also known as ''City of Frescoes and Havelis''. It has many Havelis that have beautifully frescoed interior and exteriors

==Other destinations==

==Other destinations==

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* [[Sariska Reserve and National Park]]

* [[Sariska Reserve and National Park]]

* [[Sita Mata Wildlife Sanctuary]]

* [[Sita Mata Wildlife Sanctuary]]

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* [[Bamnera]]

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* [[Alwar]]

==Understand==

==Understand==

==Talk==

==Talk==

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Most people speak [[Rajasthani language|Rajasthani]] dialects, [[Hindi phrasebook|Hindi]] and sometimes broken English. In tourist places like Jaipur and Jodhpur, you will find trained English and French guides too.

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Most people speak [[Rajasthani language|Rajasthani]] dialects, [[Hindi phrasebook|Hindi]] and sometimes broken English. In tourist places like Jaipur and Jodhpur, you will find trained English and French guides too. You may not be able to understand some people due to the dialect that they speak and at times, they may add words from these dialects while speaking Hindi. This does not mean that they are unable to understand you. In Rajasthan, Hindi is universally understood whereas English is spoken among the educated. Bear in mind that Rajasthani languages are more likely to be spoken by older people rather than younger people.

==Get in==

==Get in==

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Overnight trains from [[Delhi]] and [[Mumbai]] reach most of Rajasthan's major cities. For points further out, like [[Jaisalmer]], you'll be looking at a second day on the train as well. The Shatabdi and Rajdhani express are excellent trains and have excellent service.

Overnight trains from [[Delhi]] and [[Mumbai]] reach most of Rajasthan's major cities. For points further out, like [[Jaisalmer]], you'll be looking at a second day on the train as well. The Shatabdi and Rajdhani express are excellent trains and have excellent service.

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Another option is [[Palace on Wheels]] which is a week long luxury train ride through Rajasthan.

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Another option is [[Palace on Wheels]] which is a week long luxury train ride through Rajasthan.New Luxury train also started for rajasthan Named Royal rajsthan on wheels it is also a best option for travel royal rajasthan on wheels [http://www.royalsrajasthanonwheels.com/]

===By road===

===By road===

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A very popular option is [[Palace on Wheels]] which is a week long luxury train ride through interiors of Rajasthan.

A very popular option is [[Palace on Wheels]] which is a week long luxury train ride through interiors of Rajasthan.

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You may contact Assorted India Tours & Travels (Regd) which is a full service tour operator registered with the Government of (Rajasthan) India. They specialize in tailor made and customized tours to the region.

==See==

==See==

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Rajasthan is one of the most popular tourist destination to observe Indian heritage and royalty closely. A fortnight should suffice to be able to glimpse the splendor of the state. It has a lot of natural and man made tourist destinations, which include:

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[http://www.facebook.com/RajasthanTourismInformation Rajasthan] is one of the most popular tourist destination to observe Indian heritage and royalty closely. A fortnight should suffice to be able to glimpse the splendor of the state. It has a lot of natural and man made tourist destinations, which include:

*'''Amber Fort''' in [[Jaipur]]

*'''Amber Fort''' in [[Jaipur]]

*'''Camel fair''' in [[Pushkar]]

*'''Camel fair''' in [[Pushkar]]

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*<do name="Hot Air Ballooning" alt="" address="" directions="" phone="" url="http://www.skywaltz.com" hours="3" price="10000" lat="" long="">A breath taking experience of hot air ballooning over the heritage sites and seing a totally different perspective of Jaipur.Mesmerising should be the word for the entire 3 hour experience.</do>

*<do name="Hot Air Ballooning" alt="" address="" directions="" phone="" url="http://www.skywaltz.com" hours="3" price="10000" lat="" long="">A breath taking experience of hot air ballooning over the heritage sites and seing a totally different perspective of Jaipur.Mesmerising should be the word for the entire 3 hour experience.</do>

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'''Ranthambore National Park:''' was declared as an Indian Wildlife Sanctuary in 1957 and in 1974 it gained the protection of "Project Tiger". There are many water bodies located all over the park, which provide perfect relief during the extremely hot summer months for the forest inhabitants.

'''Desert Safari:'''Desert safari is the best way to explore the world famous “Thar Desert”, located in Rajasthan. Tourists can explore the real beauty of Rajasthan villages, their culture, tradition and colours through this amazing ride.

'''Desert Safari:'''Desert safari is the best way to explore the world famous “Thar Desert”, located in Rajasthan. Tourists can explore the real beauty of Rajasthan villages, their culture, tradition and colours through this amazing ride.

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[[ja:ラジャスターン州]]

[[ja:ラジャスターン州]]

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[[wts:Category:Rajasthan]]

[[WikiPedia:Rajasthan]]

[[WikiPedia:Rajasthan]]

[[Dmoz:Asia/India/Rajasthan/]]

[[Dmoz:Asia/India/Rajasthan/]]

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{{isPartOf|Western_India}}

{{isPartOf|Western_India}}

{{usableregion}}

{{usableregion}}

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The State of Rajasthan apart from its heritage status is famous for its Wildlife Reserves and Religious pilgrimages. Some of the rare species of animals like Chinkara, Blackbuck, Great Indian Bustard and several migratory birds are found exclusively in Rajasthan. Sariska, Bharatpur Sanctuary, Desert National Park, Tal Chappar Sanctuary are one of the few places in Rajasthan where the rich and diverse Flora and fauna of Rajasthan can be viewed. Rajasthan also is a favorite destination for pilgrims belonging to Hindu, Jain and Muslim Religion. The Dilwara Jain temples, Pushkar temple and Ajmer Sharriff are all examples of Religious and Cultural diversity in Rajasthan. Rajasthan today is a perfect blend of its rich heritage as well as a modern State surging ahead keeping with changing times of Modern banking, Industrial, Technological development in the World. Rajasthan is a visual treat for its vibrant and colorful lifestyle, something that will keep the traveler rapt with attention an experience he will cherish for the lifetime.

Revision as of 10:02, 10 January 2013

Location of Rajasthan in India

Rajasthan is a state in the northwest of India. It is mainly arid and its western border is adjacent to Pakistan. The main attraction for travellers is the vast Desert of Thar and one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world - Aravalis - and the Rajput heritage which is apparent in the forts, temples and palaces established by the Rajput Kings like Bappa Rawal, Rana Kumbha, Rana Sanga and Rana Pratap.

Other destinations

Understand

Talk

Most people speak Rajasthani dialects, Hindi and sometimes broken English. In tourist places like Jaipur and Jodhpur, you will find trained English and French guides too. You may not be able to understand some people due to the dialect that they speak and at times, they may add words from these dialects while speaking Hindi. This does not mean that they are unable to understand you. In Rajasthan, Hindi is universally understood whereas English is spoken among the educated. Bear in mind that Rajasthani languages are more likely to be spoken by older people rather than younger people.

Get in

By plane

Rajasthan is one of the larger Indian states and distances are long, making planes a fairly good option for getting in. Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur all have airports with direct links to many major cities, though if coming from a smaller city, one has to go via Delhi.

By train

Overnight trains from Delhi and Mumbai reach most of Rajasthan's major cities. For points further out, like Jaisalmer, you'll be looking at a second day on the train as well. The Shatabdi and Rajdhani express are excellent trains and have excellent service.

Another option is Palace on Wheels which is a week long luxury train ride through Rajasthan.New Luxury train also started for rajasthan Named Royal rajsthan on wheels it is also a best option for travel royal rajasthan on wheels [1]

By road

The National Highway 8 which runs through Rajasthan is excellent and connects Delhi to Mumbai. Though Mumbai may be too far away, this is the most popular way to travel to Jaipur from Delhi as the road is in excellent condition and the drive can easily be completed in under 4hrs.

Get around

All the cities have public transports in form of buses.Also available are jeeps on hire. Beware of jeep drivers who charge a bomb from tourists. Otherwise from Delhi various private travel agencies organise trips to Rajasthan but they are rather costly. But if you do not travel alone, it is better to hire a car with a driver (for example a car from Delhi International Airport to Neemrana Village costs 4000 INR for five persons).
Besides these government tourism department runs luxury buses to a couple of cities in Rajasthan. The buses originate from Dr. Ambedkar Terminus in the Old Delhi region.

Railways can be the better travel mode as it is quick and the service on most trains is excellent. But in Rajasthan, road may be more enjoyable for short distances as the sights of the desert with the hills to be seen are beautiful and the roads are but bearable. A popular road drive is from Jodhpur to Jaisalmer, which is because the flight takes longer overall and the road is excellent.

A very popular option is Palace on Wheels which is a week long luxury train ride through interiors of Rajasthan.

You may contact Assorted India Tours & Travels (Regd) which is a full service tour operator registered with the Government of (Rajasthan) India. They specialize in tailor made and customized tours to the region.

See

Rajasthan is one of the most popular tourist destination to observe Indian heritage and royalty closely. A fortnight should suffice to be able to glimpse the splendor of the state. It has a lot of natural and man made tourist destinations, which include:

Wildlife Sanctuary in Ranthambhore National Park Ranthambore wildlife sanctuary was established in 1957. In 1974 this park came under the campaign of “Tiger Reserve”. Visitors can easily see many water bodies, everywhere inside the park, which is the perfect destination to relax during the summer for the wildlife animals.

Sariska was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1955 and got the status of national park in 1979. The park is famous for both its wildlife and historical monuments and temples.

Dilwara Temples in Mount Abu

Do

Many of the cities and towns in Rajasthan offer a chance to do a camel safari.

Another great experience is to explore Rajasthan on horseback. Beginners can go on shorter rides while experienced riders can join horseback safaris running from a couple of days up to 3 weeks. [2]

Visit the bird sanctuary at Bharatpur and the wildlife park at Ranthambore. Make sure you take the tiger safari at Ranthambore.

Travel in Palace on Wheels- Palace on wheels is one of most luxurious train in the world, equipped with all sort of luxurious comfort. This train is the most memorable and pleasing way to explore the beauty of Rajasthan. This train has exact replica of almost everything as kings used to have in their palaces. This train covers the area of Jaipur, also known as Pink City, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Ranthambhore National Park, Chittaurgarh, Udaipur, Bharatpur and Agra before ending its Journey to Delhi.

Shop at the bazaars(local markets) located in most cities in narrow alleys and lanes. You can pick up traditional puppets, tie-and-dye clothes/apparel, kota(also a place) textiles, accessories. Pick up excellent and beautifully done block print textiles from where it originates. The art has been initiated by the villagers of Pipar Village.

Visit fairs arranged for traditional festivals, where you get to see the locals in traditional finery;watch camel races;enjoy traditional folk music.

Go on a jeep safari, night safari or a nature hike in the Aravalli Mountains visiting some of the interesting wildlife sanctuaries there such as Sita-Mata, Kumbhalgarh or Jaisamand.

Hot Air Ballooning, [3]. 3. A breath taking experience of hot air ballooning over the heritage sites and seing a totally different perspective of Jaipur.Mesmerising should be the word for the entire 3 hour experience.10000.

Ranthambore National Park: was declared as an Indian Wildlife Sanctuary in 1957 and in 1974 it gained the protection of "Project Tiger". There are many water bodies located all over the park, which provide perfect relief during the extremely hot summer months for the forest inhabitants.

Desert Safari:Desert safari is the best way to explore the world famous “Thar Desert”, located in Rajasthan. Tourists can explore the real beauty of Rajasthan villages, their culture, tradition and colours through this amazing ride.

Buy

Avoid shopping at outlets guided by the local auto/ricksha drivers or even with the local tour guide you may have hired as these outlets all claim to have some assosiation with the Rajasthan government or the actual artisans which are generaly fabricated claims and you end up paying anywhere between 20-40% above the actual price (including a hefty commission parted by the shopkeeper to the guide/auto driver). The guide is more keen to show you all these shops rather than the places you have travelled to see.

Bargain is the key word. If you are buying jewelry, artefact's, handicrafts, etc. definitely bargain. Most tourist shops bargain up to 30 - 50% while some shops (mostly big stores like National Handloom, Bhandari Exports, Jaipur Rugs, India Crafts, Government organizations, etc.) have fixed rates with little or no scope discount on bulk buying.

Eat

Food is generally very spicy - to be enjoyed in moderation for first timers. Dairy based sweet products are very popular in this part of the country. Restaurants are mostly vegetarian. Finding restaurants serving good non-vegetarian food could be difficult, and in general, non vegetarian stuff in road side eateries should be avoided. Bread - both leavened and unleavened is readily available.

A typical Rajasthani fare would include daal-baati-churma. Daal is lentil curry;baati is round balls made out of wheat flour and baked in charcoal fire;churma is a dessert made out of crushed wheat balls rolled in jaggery/sugar and topped with ghee.

Stay safe

As always, be careful when traveling alone, and avoid venturing out late at nights and beware of touts. One of the safest ways to travel around is by having a driver who knows their way around Rajasthan.

Spitting, urinating and dumping garbbage in public places and streets is very common and you need to watch out for this. Vehicles in India are driven on the left side of the road; therefore be aware of it in the street when walking/driving.

Stay healthy

There are many clinics and hospitals in major cities which provide quality treatment at affordable prices. Also health tourism is on the upswing.

Get out

This is a usable article. It gives a good overview of the region, its sights, and how to get in, as well as links to the main destinations, whose articles are similarly well developed. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow!

The State of Rajasthan apart from its heritage status is famous for its Wildlife Reserves and Religious pilgrimages. Some of the rare species of animals like Chinkara, Blackbuck, Great Indian Bustard and several migratory birds are found exclusively in Rajasthan. Sariska, Bharatpur Sanctuary, Desert National Park, Tal Chappar Sanctuary are one of the few places in Rajasthan where the rich and diverse Flora and fauna of Rajasthan can be viewed. Rajasthan also is a favorite destination for pilgrims belonging to Hindu, Jain and Muslim Religion. The Dilwara Jain temples, Pushkar temple and Ajmer Sharriff are all examples of Religious and Cultural diversity in Rajasthan. Rajasthan today is a perfect blend of its rich heritage as well as a modern State surging ahead keeping with changing times of Modern banking, Industrial, Technological development in the World. Rajasthan is a visual treat for its vibrant and colorful lifestyle, something that will keep the traveler rapt with attention an experience he will cherish for the lifetime.